A Fresh Start
by Phillipe363
Summary: Green Arrow is captured leaving it up to the team to go rescue him. Through just a nightly reminder of how dangerous their lives can be leaves Dinah Drake and Oliver with some choices to make and some feelings to confront.


**Hey guys**

 **I don't own Arrow or DC comics**

* * *

Nighttime at Star City Docks during early May, 2017

Dinah Drake is in a black leather jacket, and pants of similar color with a dull blue colored T-shirt on underneath the jacket. A domino mask covers her eyes and dark colored gloves over hands.

Nearing an old motel building, Dinah climbs off her motorcycle with slowly making her way towards it, only to see two guards station outside.

"Black Canary to Terrific how many guards in total?" Dinah asked, taping her ear piece.

"Around 27 or so, based on the heat signatures and looks like Whales, is on the top floor which is only a two-story building thankfully. I'm picking this up from the Palmer Tech satellite I hacked" Curtis replied, going on a mini rant.

"This guy is one of the biggest gun runners in the city" Dinah said.

"Looks like you're going to need some help then" Rene said, in his full Wild Dog suit walking out of the shadows.

"When did you get here?" Dinah asked.

"Just a few minutes ago, I got done with taking out the Stardust dealers. Curtis told me I should come back you up, since you got information from a few low life dirt bags on boss man's location" Rene said.

"Wait for my signal" Dinah said.

Rene just nods while pulling out both his handguns then they make their way to the corner.

"Go" Dinah whispers.

Stepping around the corner, Rene fires off a few rounds killing the first man down and by the time the second goes to raise up his sub machine gun, Dinah unleashes a light sonic blast from her mouth, sending the man to the ground out cold.

* * *

Minutes later in a hall way

Dinah walking down, alert, briefly thinks about the twenty something men Rene and her had to deal with on the first floor, before they spilt. Rene went off to chase down the 3 of them while she's checking other areas.

Of course, Curtis lost his window into the satellite and now has been spending time trying to get back in, through with little success.

Shaking off those thoughts Dinah hears the door knob turning nearby so she jumps over to the side, just as a door bursts open and four men come out. The first man is holding a crowbar, the second is just plain fists, the third has a revolver and the finale a switch blade.

"All you boys to take me out? You really must be desperate" Dinah said with a smirk.

"I'm going to take that mouth off you Canary" the fourth man said.

As the third gets ready to fire, Dinah unleashes a small sonic blast aimed right at the gun which blows up in his hand, causing the man to howl in pain while clutching his hand.

Dinah is inwardly glad over the past few months with the help of The Flash over in STAR Labs, who helped her harness the meta human cry to be more effective and controlled. Right now, though she's got bigger problems to worry about. Namely the three men rushing her, all at once.

Blocking the second man's punch, Black Canary responds with a throat punch sending him out of the fight and ducks to avoid the first man swinging his crowbar.

Pulling the crowbar from the man's hands, Dinah swiftly uses it to shatter the fourth's jaw before hitting the first man in his stomach and head, dropping him to the ground.

Grabbing the fourth's knife hand Dinah twists it causing his wrist to break then delivers a few punches to his chest, causing the man to stumble backwards before falling to the ground.

Turning to see the third man recovered and running forward with a knife of his own, Dinah just disarms him of the knife before stabbing the third man in the chest with it, sending him to the ground gasping for breath.

Hearing sounds of fighting from nearby, Dinah turns to see a thug getting kicked through a door.

Before that thug can get up, Rene fires off a round right into the man's chest stopping any movement then let's out a sigh of relief, from the fight being finally over.

Glancing back Rene sees the two lifeless bodies of the other men, in the stair case then wipes the sweat off his forehead, due to losing his hockey mask.

Dinah and Rene begin working their way down a nearby hallway and as they come around a corner, both stop upon seeing the site down at the end of the hallway.

* * *

A few minutes before inside a small room

There's only a chair and a flickering lamb above, as Oliver is tied to the chair by rope. His hood and mask are down, with his quiver removed, he looks up at Jonny Whales who is dressed in typical street clothes.

"You never should have interfered with my operations, Mr. Queen. I am however impressed by your ability to find me. However, I will be the most respected man in town since I'll be getting rid of both the mayor and the Green Arrow" Jonny said raising up a Colt 45 handgun.

Meeting the man's gaze "That's not going to happen" Oliver said, then having dislocated his thumbs silently pops them back in place. A little trick learned from Anatoly back in Russia to free himself, after Viktor tried to kill him. Through this does bring back a memory of when Slade had him tied to a chair in the fuselage and was going to kill him, when they first met years ago.

Just as Jonny goes to pull the trigger, Oliver comes up grabbing the man's arm and twisting it until the bone breaks, causing Jonny to scream out in pain. Putting the gunrunner in a neck hold, Oliver twists his head to the side breaking his neck then drops Whales's body.

Glancing around unable to find his equipment, Oliver just grabs the handgun from the floor with making his way over to the door with raising up his gun, as he opens the door.

Stepping out, Oliver sees Dinah and Rene at the end of the hallway looking partially shocked. But they shake it off, as they walk over to the archer.

"What are you guys doing here?" Oliver asked, lowering the gun.

"Recusing you" Dinah replied.

"You guys didn't have to, I had this under control" Oliver replied.

"Right, until you got your hide captured by this dirt bag" Rene said, with a scoff.

"How long have we been tracking Whales? Four months?" Oliver asked.

"And we've gotten nowhere because he conducted all his operations under various usernames on the dark web and hardly ever meets any of them in person" Dinah said.

"I decided to let myself get caught so I could meet Whales" Oliver said.

"A very risky plan considering you could have just been killed. I like it" Rene said.

"Well you are the nut job of the team" Dinah said.

"Any of the men left?" Oliver asked.

"No, we took care of them" Rene said.

"Let's get out of here then call this in" Oliver said.

"All right" Dinah replied.

Oliver, Dinah and Rene begin walking down the hallway.

* * *

Later at the Bunker

Dinah wearing casual clothes, is standing near the computers with ending the call on the cellphone, having just got done calling it into the dispatch as SCPD. Once settling into Star City, she joined the police department with her old detective rank. Placing the phone back in her jean's pocket, Dinah sees Rene walking up wearing his normal clothes.

"You heading home for the night?" Dinah asked.

"I am. Curtis already left to catch up on some sleep and Diggle is home with his family. I am wondering if you're ever going to tell Oliver?" Rene asked, referring to an earlier conversation they had a weeks ago.

"Eventually" Dinah replied.

"Listen it's none of my business, you can do whatever you want. But we live in a never-ending war and wasting time can cost us" Rene said.

"You sound like you have some experience in that area?" Dinah asked.

"Outside of our current life? Yeah, I was married once, and had a kid but my wife became a drug addict before taking Zoey after I confronted her" Rene said, grimly.

Dinah just nods in understanding since having not much else to add and knows Rene for sure doesn't want any sympathy or pity. Which at least Rene's daughter had a chance to know her father. She never knew her parents and grew up in orphanage until escaping in her mid-teens to go live on the streets for a time. One reason why she's so closed off.

Through somehow Oliver and along with the rest of the team has allowed her to drop some of guard. To feel less like a stranger passing through and have an actual home, a family.

Which in Oliver's case she felt something between them, a connection of some kind. Of course, when she found about his relationship with Susan Williams, she decided to put those possible feelings aside.

"Night" Rene said.

"See you, man" Dinah said.

Rene walks off to the elevator and just as the doors go to shut, they are stopped by a hand as Dinah steps inside.

* * *

The loft

Oliver is existing the bathroom wearing sweat pants and pulling on a T-shirt then walks over to the window, looking out.

Actually, managed to get his apartment back, after Felicity left Star City and discovered the very strange reason for not getting the apartment after their break up, last year is because she hacked the city records and changed who owned it.

One reason involved in her leaving was due to becoming involved Helix, a hacking group that hacked whatever they pleased and despite their good intentions, has a serious lack of any restraint.

Some months earlier, in March is when everything happened. Susan Williams a reporter and his girlfriend, unknown to him was doing an investigation into him where she discovered his past with The Bratva and being the Green Arrow.

When Susan confronted him with explaining that she decided to not reveal the information because of her growing feelings. Angry, he broke the relationship off and Prometheus made his move trying to collect the information to release it online but they managed to stop him and destroyed the evidence. Through like always he escaped.

After those events, Susan seeing how dangerous Oliver's life is every day, chose to not renew their relationship but she still is his friend.

However, Felicity unhappy tried to go after Susan using her Helix connections but was ultimately stopped and thus he kicked Felicity off the team then had Lyla lock her in the Supermax prison for being too dangerous to be left on her own.

Oliver's thoughts drift to Dinah Drake, who has become his friend once bringing her into the team but has recently begun feeling more towards her. They have a connection, like the one had with Sara but different as well.

Both have been tortured, seen people they love die right in front of them and unable to do anything to stop it, infiltrated criminal organizations and done dark things while maintaining their cover with killing people in cold blood for revenge.

In Russia after he had gone to beat up some dirt bag for Anatoly to get back into The Bratva, she tried to help him. Tried to remind him that he could be more than just some damaged fighter, and in less of the judgmental way Diggle or Felicity has done in the past.

Oliver's fist clenches for a moment, thinking about all the people in relationships he loved and lost which really are only two of Laurel and Sara. Both are gone, Sara is off time traveling which he might not ever see her again and Laurel is dead.

When dating Susan Williams, he knew it never was going to last but he was tired of being alone. And it was the first time, since Felicity he felt like he could be in a relationship again.

Hearing the door open, Oliver turns to see Dinah walking into the room.

"I figured we should talk" Dinah said.

"You ok?" Oliver replied.

"I'm fine. After Vincent died three years ago, I shut myself off from letting anyone get close to me like that ever again. Until now… until you" Dinah said, meeting his eyes.

"Oh" Oliver said, in realization then walks over to her.

"That's it?" Dinah asked.

"No. I'm not sure when but I've developed feelings for you as well Dinah" Oliver said.

"Nice to hear" Dinah said with a smile.

Dinah kisses Oliver with wrapping her arms around his neck, as Oliver returns the kiss and they stay that way for a few minutes until breaking apart for air.

"Finally" Oliver said.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed that. As always let me know what you think in the reviews.**

 **In regards to Dinah Drake who is going to be the new Black Canary.**

 **First, Laurel's mother in the show they never mentioned Drake being her middle name. That's just something, fans even myself assumed due to the comics.**

 **Now bringing in Dinah was Greg Berlanti's idea because of wanting a Black Canary on the show and so far, how well has it worked? Quite well of not being as bad as I thought it was going to be.**

 **Dinah's an enjoyable character and can handle herself in the field similar to Sara. Plus, is an equal to Oliver. Also, Juliana Harkavay who plays her is a decent actress.**

 **If Laurel's out and Sara's staying on Legends for now, then I can live with the Dinah Drake character.**

 **For sure a lot better than Felicity ever getting the mask and becoming Black Canary, which I'm really, thankful did not happen.**

 **In regards to Felicity going to the dark road well this is what I could see happening on the show. Hopefully it does but I'm not holding my breath, considering we all know who the showrunners are.**

 **For Dinah's backstory decided to pull some stuff from her comics origin in the New52.**

 **Now over all will I be writing anymore Oliver/Dinah Drake stories? I really don't know.**

 **Also, I did this just because I have not really seen much of anything in regards to this character or pairing her with Oliver.**

 **Until next time**


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